Members of the Beatles, from left, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney informally play music
in Rishikesh, India in 1968, as captured by photographer Paul Saltzman. (Photo credit: Paul Saltzman,
All Rights Reserved)

(Paul Saltzman was a young man with a camera when the Beatles went to Rishikesh to be with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Saltzman took pictures, later published in his book "The Beatles in Rishikesh." Saltzman is leading a guided tour of places the Beatles visited in India in February, 2010. He will also be one of the guests on the Beatles Tribute Cruise. We recently interviewed him via email. More pictures taken by Saltzman in India are in the slideshow at the bottom of the page.)

Q: The whole India experience with the Beatles was so unique because they were so out of their element as pop stars. Were you surprised they hung in as long as they did?
Paul Satlzman: I wasn’t surprised because, in a true sense, I wasn’t looking at it from the outside. We were hanging out, talking about life, meditation, the beauty of India — Paul was going off to see the Taj Mahal–the great food and so on. That they stayed so long is testament to the experience feeding their inner needs, and their creativity: they wrote 48 songs in less than 7 weeks at the ashram.

Q: The India trip was a very creative time for them, especially Paul and John. From your experience there, can you say why?
Paul Saltzman: For sure: creativity comes from deep within each and every one of us, and it’s unlimited, without end. At the ashram, an oasis of calm in their very hectic lives, with the sound of the Ganges River burbling below, flights of green parakeets in the trees, simple vegetarian food and daily meditation, the inner creativity just flowed to the surface.

Q: You made a memorable gesture to Mia Farrow just after she arrived in India that she was very grateful. Can you discuss that and have you had any contact with her in recent years?
Paul Saltzman: I hadn’t met Mia nor Prudence and I happened to be exiting the doors of the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi when they arrived, having just landed in India. About 50 press people crowded around their car as it pulled in and in their excitement, swarmed Mia and Prudence. Mia was frightened and almost in tears. After they had gone upstairs and the press had departed, I took a big yellow mum flower up to their room. It was an in-the-moment gesture of greeting that I hoped would cheer Mia up. She was resting but Prudence opened their door, took it and thanked me. Later, at the ashram in Rishikesh, a half-day’s drive north, I met them both. We were passing on a path in the early evening and Prudence turned back and said: "Weren’t you the fellow who gave Mia the flower at the Oberoi?" I said, "Yes", and Mia turned and thanked me, adding, "It made a difference." No, I haven’t had any contact. I tried reaching her when I was writing my book, ‘The Beatles in India’, wishing to ask her how meditation and the time in India impacted her life then, and now. But there was no response through her agent.

Q: Can you give your impressions of each of the Beatles?
Paul Saltzman: Wow. There’s no simple way to talk about people, in brief, however, I’ll try: they were, each of them, very down to earth. No ’star’ stuff in the week I spent with them. Very individual senses of humour but each of them quite clever and funny. Paul was the most friendly and outgoing; Ringo the quietest, calmest, very grounded; John was very generous with me in personal and intimate conversation with a wonderful dry wit; and George was the most interested in the inner journey — a young man, only 24, the, of enormous fame and yet remarkable humility. He changed my life.

Q: Also Mal Evans, Cynthia Lennon, Jane Asher, Maureen Cox and Pattie Boyd?
Paul Saltzman: Mal was very warm and included me in everything; Cynthia a charming, deep and wonderful woman; Jane seemed very bright, yet quiet; Maureen barely spoke and seemed exceedingly shy, yet not unfriendly; and Pattie was light of spirit and openly kind.

Q: Do you still meditate?
Paul Saltzman: Yes, but with a different method that I prefer.

Q: What will you do on the "Beatles in India Tour" that you are leading Feb. 11-28, 2010?
Paul Saltzman: We’ll have a wonderfully light and fun time exploring India and have interesting conversations as we go. I expect it will be a deeply satisfying trip. We’ll stay at lovely five-star accommodations, and see several of the most important and holiest cities in India, many that the Beatles visited, including: Rishikesh, where the Beatles spent most of their stay; Agra, home to the Taj Mahal; the capital of New Delhi; bustling Mumbai; historic Jaipur and Udaipur, and much more. To be in the moment and capture the unique spirit of India, travelers have the option of yoga, whitewater rafting, spa treatment and even a Himalayan trek. For those looking to make changes in their lives, it can serve as a catalyst for change. And, for Beatles fans simply seeking a once-in-a-lifetime trip to experience India through the Beatles songs, words and friends in India – it will be very enlightening. Since I have visited India about 50 times, I can give visitors an informed perspective on the country. And, I am especially looking forward to our meeting Ravi Shankar, Ajit Singh and other Indian musicians, some which we will hear perform – who can tell us how the Beatles influenced their lives and their own music.

Q: Where do people go for information on it?
Paul Saltzman: They can call Bestway Tours, which is organizing it, at 1-800-663-0844. From outside the US and Canada, call 604-264-7378, which is a Canadian number. Or, they can visit the Bestway Tours website at www.bestway.com for more details. Steve, thanks for your interest. It’s been a pleasure catching up with you. Peace.